The hearings before the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, in The Hague come after South Africa last week requested additional emergency measures to protect the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering.
It also asked the court to issue an order to Israel to allow UN officials and organizations providing humanitarian aid, as well as journalists and investigators, to enter the Strip without hindrance. She added that Israel has so far ignored and violated orders previously issued by the court.
At 3pm (1300 GMT), South Africa will begin presenting its latest efforts to take emergency measures.
Israel plans to present its response on Friday. Israel denounces South Africa’s accusation that it is violating the 1949 Genocide Convention and says these are baseless allegations. It stressed in previous testimonies that it had intensified its efforts to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza in implementation of what the Court of Justice ordered.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s representative to the United Nations, told Army Radio on Wednesday that the short deadline allowed by the court before the hearings did not allow for sufficient legal preparation, considering this a “clear indicator.”
South Africa accuses Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians. The court ordered Israel in January to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, allow more humanitarian aid in, and preserve any evidence of violations.
The hearings over the course of May 16 and 17 will focus solely on issuing emergency measures in an effort to prevent further escalation. It may take years for the court to decide on the merits of the case.
It should be noted that the rulings and orders of the International Court of Justice are binding and cannot be appealed. Although the court has no way to enforce its rulings, issuing an order against a country could harm its reputation on the international stage and set a legal precedent.
#South #Africa #seeks #Hague #stop #Israels #invasion #Rafah